Herring completes half-hour hat-trick

ROB Herring blitzed hapless Zebre with a hat-trick in half an hour as Ulster wrapped up a bonus win built on the back of a powerful forward display.

“We’re pleased with the result and the manner in which we took charge and got the scores,” Ulster coach Dan McFarland said.

Zebre, minus seven Italian internationals and forced to draft in a few permit players, offered only token resistance as they fell to their 13th defeat in 16 league games.

Michael Bradley’s men were in trouble from the outset as the Ulster pack got on top and the pressure led to a yellow card for flanker James Brown. Herring powered over for the opening try after 15 minutes.

Herring repeated the dose with another driving maul off a lineout and Rob Lyttle converted.

Zebre hit back and got a penalty try and Ulster full-back Louis Ludik got ten minutes in the bin for a deliberate knock-on.

But the reprieve was brief for the Italians and Herring, who had scored only three tries in ten games this season, doubled his tally inside half an hour off another maul.

Lyttle scored in the corner for a 26-7 interval lead and the one-way traffic continued after the restart. A penalty try was followed by a fine effort from Ludik befores Robert Baloucoune and Peter Nelson crossed.